Electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector (10) provides mechanical coupling and electrical contact between the multiple wires (12) of a flat cable assembly (14) and multiple electrically conductive pads (18) of a printed circuit board (16). The electrical connector includes a substantially rigid electrically nonconductive spacing element (30) having first and second opposed side margins (32 and 34) that include respective comb-like portions (35a and 35b) shaped in alternating tabs (36) and slots (40). The slots and tabs are adapted to respectively receive and hold in spaced-apart relation the wires of the flat cable assembly. A resilient material (42) that is electrically conductive in directions only substantially parallel to a conduction axis (44) is secured between the substrate and the spaced-apart wires held by the spacing element. The resilient material provides multiple separate electrically conductive pathways between the wires and the conductive pads. An alternative electrical connector (90) includes a support element (92) having multiple spaced-apart tongues (98) that fit into grooves (118) in a support block (93). Channels (104) in the leading edges (102) of the tongues guide the wires of the flat cable assembly into the support block, which secures the wires in place and has in the bottom thereof openings (124) through which the wires protrude for electrical contact with the printed circuit board.

I claim: 
     
       1. An electrical connector kit having component parts capable of being assembled to provide mechanical coupling and electrical contact between an electrically conductive substrate and plural electrical conductors arranged as a flat cable assembly, the kit comprising: a flat substantially rigid, electrically nonconductive spacing element having first and second opposed side margins along which are positioned substantially identical alternating slots and tabs that are respectively adapted to receive and hold in spaced-apart relation the electrical conductors of the flat cable assembly;   a resilient material that is electrically conductive in directions only substantially parallel to a conduction axis and is adapted to be secured between the spacing element and the substrate to provide plural separate electrically conductive pathways between the electrical conductors and the substrate; and   a fastener adapted to fasten the resilient material between and in electrical contact with the substrate and the electrical conductors held on the spacing element.   
     
     
       2. The kit of claim 1 in which each tab and next adjacent slot having a combined width of less than about 0.635 millimeter. 
     
     
       3. The kit of claim 1 in which the spacing element is formed of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of anodized aluminum, machined plastic, and tooled plastic. 
     
     
       4. An electrical connector for providing mechanical coupling and electrical contact between an electrically conductive substrate and plural electrical conductors arranged as a flat cable assembly, comprising: a substantially rigid, electrically nonconductive spacing element having first and second opposed side margins along which re positioned substantially identical alternating slots and tabs, the electrical conductors of the flat cable assembly being positioned within the slots so that the electrical conductors are spaced apart from each other;   a resilient material that is electrically conductive in directions only substantially parallel to a conduction axis and is secured between the spacing element and the substrate to provide plural separate electrically conductive pathways between the electrical conductors and the substrate; and   securing means for securing the resilient material between and in electrical contact with the substrate and the electrical conductors held on the spacing element.   
     
     
       5. The connector of claim 4 in which each tab and next adjacent slot have a combined width of less than about 0.635 millimeter. 
     
     
       6. The connector of claim 4 in which the spacing element is formed of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of anodized aluminum, machined plastic, and tooled plastic. 
     
     
       7. The connector of claim 4 in which the electrically conductive substrate includes a printed circuit board. 
     
     
       8. An electrical connector kit having component parts capable of being assembled to provide mechanical coupling and electrical contact between an electrically conductive substrate and plural electrical conductors arranged as a flat cable assembly, the kit comprising: a first electrically nonconductive support element having a base member with a major surface along which are positioned plural spaced-apart tongues that each have a leading edge;   a second electrically nonconductive support element having a block member through which alternating ribs and grooves extend between first and second major sides, the grooves being adapted to receive from a direction toward the first major side corresponding ones of the tongues, the leading edges of the tongues being adapted to guide the electrical conductors along the grooves such that portions of the electrical conductors protrude from the second major side;   a resilient material that is electrically conductive in directions only substantially parallel to a conduction axis and is adapted to be secured between the substrate and the electrical conductors protruding from the second major side to provide plural separate electrically conductive pathways between the electrical conductors and the substrate; and   a fastener adapted to fasten the resilient material between and in electrical contact with the substrate and the electrical conductors held by the first and second support elements.   
     
     
       9. The kit of claim 8 in which each of the tongues is formed as a planar structure that is substantially parallel to and in face-to-face relation with a next adjacent tongue. 
     
     
       10. The kit of claim 8 in which each of the tongues is disposed substantially perpendicular to the base member. 
     
     
       11. The kit of claim 8 in which the tongues are spaced apart uniformly. 
     
     
       12. The kit of claim 8 in which a groove is positioned along the leading edge of each tongue to receive an electrical conductor. 
     
     
       13. The kit of claim 8 in which the grooves are of complementary shape to the leading edges of the tongues. 
     
     
       14. The kit of claim 8 further comprising connecting means for releasibly connecting the first and second support elements. 
     
     
       15. The kit of claim 14 in which the connecting means includes a latch finger secured to the first support element and a latch hook secured to the second support element. 
     
     
       16. In an electrical connector for providing mechanical coupling and electrical contact between an electrically conductive substrate and plural electrical conductors arranged as a flat cable assembly, the improvement comprising: a first electrically nonconductive support element having a base member with a major surface along which are positioned plural spaced-apart tongues that each have a leading edge; and   a second electrically nonconductive support element having a block member through which alternating ribs and grooves extend between first and second major sides, the grooves being adapted to receive from the first major side corresponding ones of the tongues, the leading edges of which being adapted to guide the electrical conductors along the grooves such that portions of the electrical conductors protrude from the second major side.   
     
     
       17. The connector of claim 16 in which each of the tongues is substantially perpendicular to the base member. 
     
     
       18. The connector of claim 16 in which the tongues are spaced apart uniformly. 
     
     
       19. The connector of claim 16 in which a groove is positioned along the leading edge of each of the tongues to receive an electrical conductor. 
     
     
       20. The connector of claim 16 in which the grooves are of complementary shape to the leading edges of the tongues. 
     
     
       21. The connector of claim 16 further comprising connecting means for releasibly connecting the first and second support elements. 
     
     
       22. The connector of claim 21 in which the connecting means includes a latch finger secured to the first support element and a latch hook secured to the second support element. 
     
     
       23. An electrical connector for providing mechanical coupling and electrical contact between an electrically conductive substrate and plural electrical conductors arranged as a flat cable assembly, comprising: electrically nonconductive support means for supporting against a rigid surface predetermined lengths of the electrical conductors in substantially parallel relation to each other, the support means including first and second opposed side margins along which are positioned substantially identical alternating slots and tabs that are respectively adapted to receive and hold in spaced-apart relation the electrical conductors of the flat cable assembly;   a resilient material that is electrically conductive in directions only substantially parallel to a conduction axis and is secured between the electrical conductors supported against the rigid surface of the support means and the substrate to provide plural separate electrically conductive pathways between the electrical conductors and the substrate; and   securing means for securing the resilient material between and in electrical contact with the substrate and the electrical conductors supported by the support means.   
     
     
       24. The connector of claim 23 in which the spacing element is flat.